Westminster braced for blockbuster week at Leveson Inquiry

David Cameron,
George Osborne,
Nick Clegg,
Gordon Brown and
Ed Miliband will all appear before the Leveson Inquiry next week in what could be the most significant four days of evidence heard at the inquiry so far.

David Cameron and Nick Clegg are among eight current or former politicians appearing before the Leveson Inquiry next week (Picture: PA)

Former prime minister Mr Brown will appear before the inquiry into press ethics at London’s Royal Courts of Justice on Monday June 11, as will chancellor Mr Osborne.

The following day Mr Brown’s successor as Labour leader Mr Miliband will give evidence, between appearances by former PM Sir John Major and deputy Labour leader Harriet Harman.

On Wednesday June 13 deputy prime minister and Liberal Democrat leader Mr Clegg will appear, followed by Scottish National Party leader Alex Salmond.

Then on Thursday prime minister Mr Cameron has a whole day dedicated to his evidence session.

Before the inquiry broke for a week adjournment, culture secretary Jeremy Hunt endured a six-hour grilling after which Mr Cameron said he had exonerated himself of any claims he was biased during News Corporation’s takeover of BSkyB.

To view this video please enable JavaScript, and consider upgrading to a web browser that
supports HTML5 video

The inquiry, originally set up in the wake of phone hacking at the News of the World, has recently become centred on claims made by News Corporation chief Rupert Murdoch’s son James that Mr Hunt was in close contact with the firm’s lobbyists during the proposed bid.

After being appointed to the quasi-judicial role when business secretary Vince Cable was stripped of the responsibility for telling an undercover reporter he had ‘declared war’ on the Murdochs, the culture secretary eventually approved the deal only for Mr Murdoch Snr to abandon it due to public anger over phone hacking.

The culture secretary told the inquiry he had done nothing wrong but considered resigning nonetheless amid the claims against him.

Texts revealed to the inquiry showed Mr Hunt had sent positive messages to Mr Murdoch Jnr hours before being handed the quasi-judicial role and also texted Mr Osborne to express fears the government was going to ‘screw up’ News Corporation’s proposed takeover.